What can theatre do that is spectacular, astonishing, and necessary? Why do theatre when so much of it is so terribly dull. When it is so hard to do and so hard to pay for? Why engage in this ancient art form whose relevance is questionable? Why go to the theatre at all? Because it can be a sublime experience, and it is that most human of art forms. It consists, in its barest essence, of human beings gathered in a public space, engaged in a common act.
Theatre is a social and deeply political art, not because theatre is about social relations, but because theatre very simply is social. Its essence is the living breathing relationship between artist and audience and at Necessary Angel we accept this relationship as the basis of all our work. The audience is part of any theatrical work, and the more vital and immediate the relationship between the audience and the play, the more vital is the theatrical experience.
We are dedicated to creating theatrical events that have an immediacy and vitality. Those who create theatre are in a position to ask questions in public that are too dangerous to ask on television. We are able to tell stories without the machinery of cinema, without the pressures of million dollar budgets. We can speak directly to matters of immediate importance, or enter into the most elusive of mysteries through the ritualized nature of theatre.
No question is too simple to ask. And it is the simplest of questions that are at the root of our play creation process. All of the plays we are working on this year ask fundamental questions about theatre, about love, religion, identity, and consciousness. All engage the audience in an experience that is by turns startling, invigorating, entertaining, and always exciting. And all the plays, no matter how often they have been performed, are still in development.
I do hope that you can join us and participate in our explorations.
Daniel Brooks
